book acquisitions

[heresluck]

For about fifteen minutes just now I contemplated attempting to write up a comprehensive report of my WisCon activities. Then I realized that I didn't want to. Sometimes I have to do things even though I don't want to. This is not one of those times

Comments

[coffeeandink]

*cough* I want credit for the Walcott, too! Just to prove to people that I do read things besides sf.

[desayunoencama]

Have either of you read Walcott's OMEROS? Which is amazing on both a technical scale and its epic scope, and is very sf-like in the transposition it works.

[heresluck]

Have indeed, and liked it.

[coffeeandink]

I actually have not yet read Omeros, despite having had it on my TBR stack for an embarrassing number of years.

I saw the RNT performance of Walcott's Odyssey in London many years ago and was blown away. It is a much more conventional retelling of the myth than Omeros, but it's still transfigured by Walcott's extraordinary use of language.

The Helen came on in a golden mask, which she never took off; this struck me as one of the cleverest ways of handling the whole problem of her representation that I've ever seen.

[desayunoencama]

The Ryman is wonderful.

The Hambly surprises me, or maybe that truepenny recommended it. I liked Hambly's Walls of the Air trilogy, and few other early stuff, but gave up afer things like Bride of the Rat God and other fluff. I find I like Tanya Huff or James Alan Garner better for that sort of "mindless" SF or F fare.

As I recall, in Growing Up Weightless Ford plays with form and it's all a single chapter-less dash from beginnign to end... But it's been a while since I read it and don't have my copy at hand.

[cofax7]

Windling & Sherman, eds., The Essential Bordertown
Jane Yolen, ed., Xanadu 3

::cough:: I sense a pattern here. ::cough:: ::grin::

Nice haul. I really should list everything I got when veejane was visiting, but I went and organized my bookshelves this weekend. ::shrugs::

[heresluck]

A pattern? Whaaat? *g*

And oooh, bookshelf organizing! I've been having to do that about every three months for the past year to deal with the shifting proportions of stuff on the shelves. :::sigh:::

[oracne]

My God, what a haul.

And it is so rewarding to rec books to you. Resurrection Man is awesome--it was the first Stewart I ever read, and I found it by accident and had no idea how much I would love it.

Zanzibar Cat! It has good stories, but I confess my favorite is the alien phrasebook. "I cannot accompany you to the mating pits, for I am viviparous."

Dancing Jack is a really weird and cool novel, which to me seems unlike her others. Well, maybe more like her recent books than her ones with the winged people.

Homeward Bounders is one of Jones' depressing books, but in a good, literary way. I think it might be one of her best books.

Dog Wizard! That's the third in my absolute favorite Hambly trilogy. I'd marry the hero. Wacky as he is. 'Cause he's hot. And wacky.

I brought up the Foreigner books in the "sexual eclectics" panel, because of human/alien relations, but I also love it for the reason I love most Cherryh--strangers trapped in a strange land where they aren't sure they can trust anyone.

[heresluck]

...it is so rewarding to rec books to you.

Good. Please continue.

I think truepenny and I were talking about the Cherryh in the context of Arnason's Ring of Swords, and thus for reasons related to the ones you mention, although I could be wrong about that.

[oracne]

Could be. I really want to reread RING OF SWORDS. And A WOMAN OF THE IRON PEOPLE. It's been so long, I can only remember I loved them because they were so anthropologically satisfying.

When I complimented her on her anthro accuracy, she said it was funny because she'd studied art history.

[lalouve]

Colette, The Claudine Novels
Is it really true that there will be another person I occasionally talk to (or, rather, post to) that has read Colette? I read all the Colette I can lay my hands on; though the Claudine books are somewhat immature they already show the writing that is like nobody else's. Most recommended books: My Mother's House and Julie de Carneilhan. I hope you list what you thought about Claudine once you're done.

Barbara Hambly, Dog Wizard Mmm. An old favourite. I like writers who can make me fall in love with their characters, it happens very rarely.

I find Terry Eagleton an amazingly good read, especially The Rape of Clarissa where he slaughters deconstructionists left, right, and centre. The problem is that I often find myself agreeing with him because he makes me laugh (a rather rare trait in critics...), not because I actually do agree. Dangerous writer.